Source: Exercise New Zealand
29 October
“This changes the conversation about where exercise belongs in our health system.”
Landmark cancer research has found structured exercise can improve outcomes for some colon cancer patients, with international oncology guidelines now recommending it as part of care. That evidence is also starting to shape cancer care here in New Zealand.
Exercise New Zealand Chief Executive Richard Beddie says the findings challenge the traditional view of exercise as primarily a tool for disease prevention.
“For years, we’ve talked about exercise as prevention and something that helps reduce our risk of becoming unwell. This research shows its role can go much further. For some people recovering from cancer, structured exercise can form an important part of their treatment and recovery.”
Landmark Trial Provides the Proof
The international CHALLENGE trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 889 people who had undergone surgery and chemotherapy for stage III or high-risk stage II colon cancer.
Participants in a three-year structured exercise programme had a 28% lower relative risk of cancer recurrence, a new primary cancer or death compared with those receiving health education materials.
At five years, disease-free survival was 80.3% in the exercise group compared with 73.9% in the health education group. At eight years, overall survival was 90.3% compared with 83.2%.
Importantly, participants were not simply told to exercise more. They received individualised exercise prescriptions and ongoing behavioural support throughout the programme.
Beddie says that distinction matters.
“This wasn’t just advice to be more active. It was structured and supported exercise delivered over time. That’s important because it shows what appropriately prescribed exercise can achieve when it is treated seriously as part of a person’s care.”
From Research to Cancer Care
The findings are already influencing how cancer care is delivered.
In January 2026, the European Society for Medical Oncology updated its clinical guidelines to recommend structured exercise for eligible patients with resected stage III or high-risk stage II colon cancer.
Here in New Zealand, Bowel Cancer New Zealand and the Cancer Rehabilitation Foundation launched CHALLENGE: Movement for Life in April, a fully funded three-year programme based on the international trial.
The programme supports eligible stage 2 and stage 3 bowel cancer patients following chemotherapy through individualised exercise planning, supervised physical activity and ongoing support from cancer rehabilitation physiotherapists. It began in Auckland, with plans to expand across Aotearoa.
“We’re not just talking about what might be possible in the future. The research is already changing guidelines internationally, and here in New Zealand we’re seeing it put into practice for people recovering from bowel cancer.”
Further analysis presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting found the structured exercise programme was not only more effective, but also slightly less costly overall from a Canadian public healthcare perspective.
“The evidence is stacking up. We have better patient outcomes, guidelines are changing and programmes are already being delivered here. New Zealand’s health system should be looking closely at what this could mean for the future of care.”
A Bigger Role for Exercise in New Zealand Healthcare
Bowel cancer remains one of New Zealand’s most commonly diagnosed cancers, with 3,438 New Zealanders diagnosed in 2023.
For Exercise New Zealand, the CHALLENGE findings also highlight an important practical question: if structured exercise is going to play a greater role in healthcare, who is appropriately equipped to deliver it?
New Zealand already has a professional exercise workforce and an established registration system through the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs). Registration provides a recognised framework for qualifications, professional standards and ongoing professional development.
“We don’t need to start from scratch. New Zealand already has qualified exercise professionals working in communities across the country. Through REPs, we have a way of identifying professionals who meet recognised standards and continue to develop their skills.”
Beddie says this becomes increasingly important as exercise moves closer to healthcare.
“When exercise forms part of treatment or recovery, people need confidence that the person supporting them has the right qualifications, skills and professional support. REPs gives us a foundation for that.”
For Exercise New Zealand, the findings point to an opportunity New Zealand should be exploring: how appropriately qualified exercise professionals can work more closely alongside the health sector.
Exercise will continue to play an important role in preventing disease. But the CHALLENGE trial shows that, in the right circumstances and with the right support, its role does not have to stop there.